Scottish council backs contentious new national park plans despite 'upset'

Plans to create Scotland’s third national park across vast swathes of south-west Scotland have been backed by a leading local authority in the region.

South Ayrshire Council has thrown its support behind the proposals for the new park - an initiative that has been the subject of extensive debate and controversy.

While final plans for the park’s scope and scale have yet to be agreed, the options on the table span an area from the market town of Dalmellington all the way to the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost point of Scotland.

With one such option covering a significant proportion of South Ayrshire, members of the council’s cabinet committee have approved a wide-ranging series of recommendations endorsing the park’s creation.

Plans to create a national park in Galloway have proved controversial | Getty Images

The agreement notes the proposed Galloway National park would be a “positive step” that could support the visitor economy in South Ayrshire, help address the climate and nature emergencies, and enhance the area’s existing Unesco biosphere status.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s cabinet committee last week, Councillor Alec Clark, whose ward takes in Girvan and South Carrick, said: “We do approve and are happy to take forward the support for the national park because I do think it raises the profile for us and it obviously helps the tourism economy within South Carrick. It also ties in with the development plans that could be carried out within the national park.

“I think it’s a positive move to have the national park in South Ayrshire and I think it'll do well for the economy and biodiversity and sustainability of the whole area, and help us to meet our climate change figures”.

However, Mr Clark, whose motion was passed, stressed the council would not devolve any regulatory powers and work in tandem with other local authorities covered by the park’s footprint. Such a step, he reasoned, would “mitigate the fears of landowners and farmers”.

The rough outline of one option for the proposed Galloway National Park | Supplied

He said there were “still discussions to be had” regarding the park’s name, noting that it had “upset some people”.

The council’s endorsement, which constitutes its response to an ongoing consultation by NatureScot, also points out there should be “minimal direct, indirect or recurring financial implication” for the local authority.

The Galloway National Park Association, a charity that has campaigned for a site in south-west Scotland for a number of years, welcomed the council’s support as a “vote for a better future”.

The association’s chair, Rob Lucas, said: “A new national park will guarantee major public investment and a stronger voice for the people of our region as well as bringing new jobs and business opportunities.”

However, the plans for the park have encountered stiff opposition elsewhere. Martin Kennedy, president of National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland, has asked the body’s members to complete a survey, with the results being sent to NatureScot as part of the consultation.

A previous survey found 73 per cent of almost 2,000 respondents were against the bid. Mr Kennedy has said the plans are in “no way a done deal”.

Last month, meanwhile, councillors in Dumfries and Galloway backed calls for a referendum on the park plans, a measure that has already been ruled out by Mairi Gougeon, the rural affairs secretary.

The consultation by NatureScot is due to run until February 14.